UN ends Kosovo tour with no deadline for decision

PRISTINA, Serbia, Apr 28 (Reuters) UN Security Council members wound up a fact-finding mission to Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo today, saying they would deliberate on a disputed proposal for its independence without ''setting deadlines''.

The mission visited Kosovo at the suggestion of permanent Council member Russia, which backs Serbia in opposing independence for its ethnic Albanian-majority province, as proposed by a UN mediator after a year of fruitless talks.

''The objective is that we as a Council ... should be fully informed before taking on our responsibilities,'' said Johan Verbeke of Belgium. ''We are not setting deadlines.'' Reuters JS GC2029